Best Practices: Fundraising and Sponsorship Development

Discussion from Round Tables
Mentor Workshop Greensboro, Sep 29, 2012

• Maintain relationships with sponsors
• Outreach events
• Chamber of Commerce
• Matching fund from employers
• 501(c)3 – consider forming a team nonprofit?
• Parental involvement
• Workforce development grants
• VIC card link – demos outside the store (Harris Teeter), other loyalty programs – Lowes, Belk, Macy, etc..
• Incentivize student participation (ie attendance = trip costs covered)
• Software company product-use donations
• School board support
• Supplier donations
• Community grants
• Community colleges
• Keep in touch with sponsors – newsletter, facebook, demos, etc…
• Handwritten thank you notes and team photos
• Put wish list on team website
• Sponsorship levels – tiers
• Learning how to write effective grants
• Include budget and specific categories – business plan – when approaching sponsors
• Family day events at companies
• Civic organizations
• Small-scale (donuts, etc…) not much money but gets students actively involved and helps with grant applications
• Community groups ie Kiwanis, Lions Club, etc…
• Cover letter for sponsors
• Students bring in 3 corporate names and then do cold calls
• Team member dues
• THANK YOU – letters, on website, in newsletters, etc…
• Incentives for donating to team
• Targeting small companies
• Demonstrations
• In-kind support – parts, space, mentors
• Networking
• Build business plan for team
• Link fundraising to team building activity
• Look for multiple sources of funding; don't put all eggs in one basket; diversity of portfolio
• Keep sponsors involved